of
schooners
constructed in the Great Lakes shipping frenzy that erupted after the
Civil War. She was built in 1867 in Manitowoc,
Wis., by a 27-year old shipwright named Henry B. Burger.
The staunch Fleetwing and other vessels built in
Manitowoc helped the "Clipper City" earn its reputation
throughout the Great Lakes as a premier shipbuilding port,
specializing in
fast and sturdy vessels for grain, lumber, and general merchandise. It
also helped establish Burger's young shipyard, which still
builds boats in Manitowoc today as the Burger
Boat Company.
| Frozen in for hull
repairs in Sturgeon Bay around 1887, this schooner was
identified as the Fleetwing. However, the Fleetwing
is documented as having been built with two masts. The
archaeological record is inconclusive about the addition
of a third mast. |
 |
The
finished Fleetwing cost $30,000. She had two masts,
a 132-foot
keel
,
28-foot
beam
,
and an 11-foot 6-inch depth of
hold
. The local press lauded the beauty of the new ship and her
solid construction. The Manitowoc Pilot wrote,
"She
sets very handsome in the water, has a clear run, and reflects
great credit upon her contractor, Mr. Henry Burger, and the
the force of men in his employ. Success to the Fleetwing."
(16 August 1867)
continued
|
